Duke Sims

Born: 6/5/1941 in Salt Lake City, UT, USA

MLB Debut: 1964-09-22 | Final Game: 1974-09-26

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 197 lbs

Full name: Duane B. Sims

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Biography

Duke Sims was a professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1964 to 1974. Born in 1941, Sims played primarily as a position player, appearing in a total of 843 games throughout his career. He recorded 580 hits, including 100 home runs, and drove in 310 runs, showcasing his ability to contribute offensively during a time when the game was evolving into a more power-oriented style. With a career batting average of .239, Sims demonstrated his resilience and consistency at the plate, while also adding 6 stolen bases to his record. Sims’ career spanned a transformative era in baseball, where the dynamics of hitting and pitching were shifting. He played during a time when players increasingly sought power hitting, and his ability to hit home runs placed him among the notable sluggers of his time. After retiring in 1974, Sims left behind a legacy as a reliable contributor who played for several teams, including the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers, leaving an indelible mark on the franchises and fans he represented. His combination of power and tenacity made him a respected figure in the game during a pivotal decade in baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
843	2422	263	580	80	6	100	310	6	338	483	0.239	0.340	0.401	0.741	4930.1

Career AVG .239 vs. league average .249 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .340 vs. league average .315 across their career seasons — +7.8% above league average.

Career SLG .401 vs. league average .368 across their career seasons — +9.0% above league average.

Career OPS 0.741 vs. league average 0.683 across their career seasons — +8.5% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1964	CLE	AL	2	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1965	CLE	AL	48	118	9	21	0	0	6	15	0	15	33	0.178	.245 (-28%)	.310 (-13%)	.371 (-11%)	.682 (-12%)	-214.0
1966	CLE	AL	52	133	12	35	2	2	6	19	0	11	31	0.263	.248 (+6%)	.309 (+9%)	.376 (+18%)	.685 (+14%)	327.8
1967	CLE	AL	88	272	25	55	8	2	12	37	3	30	64	0.202	.242 (-17%)	.306 (-4%)	.357 (+6%)	.663 (+1%)	71.6
1968	CLE	AL	122	361	48	90	21	0	11	44	1	62	68	0.249	.236 (+5%)	.298 (+22%)	.340 (+17%)	.638 (+20%)	1528.5
1969	CLE	AL	114	326	40	77	8	0	18	45	1	66	80	0.236	.248 (-5%)	.320 (+17%)	.369 (+15%)	.689 (+16%)	1262.5
1970	CLE	AL	110	345	46	91	12	0	23	56	0	46	59	0.264	.253 (+4%)	.325 (+11%)	.385 (+29%)	.711 (+21%)	1432.5
1971	LAD	NL	90	230	23	63	7	2	6	25	0	30	39	0.274	.249 (+10%)	.316 (+13%)	.365 (+10%)	.682 (+11%)	508.7
1972	LAD	NL	51	151	7	29	7	0	2	11	0	17	23	0.192	.243 (-21%)	.310 (-10%)	.353 (-21%)	.664 (-16%)	-372.5
1972	DET	AL	38	98	11	31	4	0	4	19	0	19	18	0.316	.243 (+30%)	.310 (+39%)	.353 (+36%)	.664 (+37%)	-372.5
1973	DET	AL	80	252	31	61	10	0	8	30	1	30	36	0.242	.256 (-6%)	.325 (avg)	.378 (avg)	.703 (avg)	1.6
1973	NYY	AL	4	9	3	3	0	0	1	1	0	3	1	0.333	—	—	—	—	1.6
1974	NYY	AL	5	15	1	2	1	0	0	2	0	1	5	0.133	—	—	—	—	0.0
1974	TEX	AL	39	106	7	22	0	0	3	6	0	8	24	0.208	.256 (-19%)	.324 (-14%)	.369 (-21%)	.693 (-17%)	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
4	14	0	3	2	1	0	0	1	2	0.214

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1972	ALCS	DET	4	14	0	3	2	1	0	0	1	2	0.214

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	61	53	372	37	9	31
C	646	559	3762	319	58	49
OF	54	48	72	4	5	1

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1964	CLE	C	1	1	13	0	0	0
1965	CLE	C	40	33	228	22	5	2
1966	CLE	C	48	31	260	15	7	2
1967	CLE	C	85	77	561	56	7	7
1968	CLE	1B	31	28	191	19	6	16
1968	CLE	C	84	71	523	41	10	7
1968	CLE	OF	4	3	8	0	0	0
1969	CLE	1B	1	0	1	0	0	0
1969	CLE	C	102	94	634	51	6	8
1969	CLE	OF	3	2	4	1	0	0
1970	CLE	1B	29	25	180	18	3	15
1970	CLE	C	39	38	277	13	2	2
1970	CLE	OF	36	34	48	3	3	1
1971	LAN	C	74	59	345	33	3	5
1972	LAN	C	48	41	244	17	3	4
1972	DET	C	25	25	145	10	1	1
1972	DET	OF	4	3	6	0	2	0
1973	DET	C	68	62	375	39	9	7
1973	DET	OF	6	6	6	0	0	0
1973	NYA	C	1	1	8	1	0	0
1974	NYA	C	1	0	6	0	0	0
1974	TEX	C	30	26	143	21	5	4
1974	TEX	OF	1	0	0	0	0	0